Nothing beats these homemade sour cherry crumble bars with a buttery crust and tart-sweet sour cherry filling. Sour cherry crumble bars come together easily with just a handful of ingredients and disappear fast!
About This Recipe
These easy and amazingly delicious crumble bars have a buttery and tender crust, sweet and tart sour cherry filling, and a crumbly streusel topping. I love using fresh sour cherries for the filling, but frozen ones work well too! The crust is typically made with flour, butter, sugar, and egg. The sour cherry filling is made with fresh or frozen sour cherries and sugar that is thickened up with a little bit of cornstarch. The streusel is sprinkled over the top of the filling before baking to perfection.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy: This crumble bars recipe is quick and easy to put together. The crumble topping and crust are made in one bowl, at once.
- Great leftovers: You can store these sour cherry crumble bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Crowd pleaser: Sour cherry crumble bars are the ultimate summer dessert. The crust is so soft and buttery and you can easily cut it into small squares to serve.
What You Need To Make Sour Cherry Crumble Bars
- Flour: Plain all-purpose flour works best for these crumble bars.
- Sugar: You can use white granulated sugar or brown sugar instead or a mix of both.
- Sour cherries: I love using fresh sour cherries for the filling, but frozen ones work well too!
- Cold butter: The butter makes the crust and topping flaky and crisp.
- Egg: The egg softens the dough and enriches the flavor.
- Salt: Add salt to balance the sweetness.
- Baking powder: The baking powder helps the crust and topping to puff and brown.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is a great thickener for fruity crumble bar fillings.
How to Make Sour Cherry Crumble Bars
- Add pitted cherries, 1/2 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a saucepan and mix to coat.
- Cook on medium heat until the mixture is bubbling. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes and stir frequently then turn off the heat. Set the filling aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Cube cold butter into tablespoon sizes.
- In a food processor, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and 1/2 cup sugar.
- Add egg, vanilla extract, and cold butter cubes. Process until fine crumbs form.
- Grease an 8×8″ baking dish with butter or line it with parchment paper.
- Pour in 2/3rds of the crumb mixture and press into the bottom using a spoon or your hands.
- Pour the cherry filling over the crust, then sprinkle the cherries with the crumb topping.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes until the topping is golden brown.
FAQs
Can I Use Frozen Sour Cherries Instead of Fresh?
Absolutely! Frozen sour cherries can be substituted for fresh sour cherries in this recipe. Just defrost and drain off excess liquid before using.
Can I Use Other Fruits in Crumble Bars?
Yes, you can use other fruits like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and peaches.
Did you like the sour cherry crumble bars recipe? Try my sour cherry jam recipe as well! Leave your comment below and If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your photos #yummynotes 
Ingredients
- 1½ cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For The Filling:
- 3 cups fresh sour cherries
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Step 1
Add pitted cherries, 1/2 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl and mix to coat.
Step 2
Transfer the cherries to a large pot. Cook on medium heat until the mixture is bubbling. Let it simmer for 5 minutes and stir frequently then turn off the heat. Set the filling aside.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 350.
Step 4
Cube cold butter into tablespoon sizes. In a food processor, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and 1/2 cup sugar.
Step 5
Add egg, vanilla extract, and cold butter cubes. Process until fine crumbs form.
Step 6
Grease an 8×8″ baking dish with butter or line it with parchment paper.
Step 7
Pour in 2/3rds of the crumb mixture and press into the bottom using a spoon or your hands. Pour the cherry filling over the crust, then sprinkle the cherries with the crumb topping.
Step 8
Bake for 35-45 minutes until the topping is golden brown.
